Broadway
Theatre News: Smash, The Perfect Fit, Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical, Angela Bassett, Show of Shows
Smash, A New Musical, is setting its sights on Broadway with a creative dream team, it was announced today by Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron who will serve as lead producers. They are developing a live stage adaptation inspired by the groundbreaking NBC series of the same name on which they all worked together.
The Tony and Grammy-winning duo of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote over two dozen songs for the television show will provide the score. The musical’s book will be co-written by two of Broadway’s most seasoned craftsmen, Tony winner Bob Martin (The Prom, The Drowsy Chaperone) and Tony-nominated Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher). “Smash’s” Emmy-winning choreographer Joshua Bergasse will reprise his role for the stage musical.
“I am personally thrilled to be a part of this musical and its road to Broadway,” said Steven Spielberg whose original idea led to the NBC series. “’Smash’ is near and dear to my heart, and it seems fitting that a new musical inspired by what we did on the show would eventually come to the stage. I’m beyond thrilled to be working with this incredible creative team and my producing partners, who began the ‘Smash’ journey with me over ten years ago.”
Interestingly most of this same crew is also onboard for the musical of “Some Like it Hot”. They must have an intense obsession with Marilyn Monroe to conceivably bring two shows in the same season to Broadway.
Broadway Records announced today the upcoming “Remote EP” release of the award-winning new musical The Perfect Fit, written by 13-year-old musical sensation Joshua Turchin. The “Remote EP” is the first musical concept EP ever recorded entirely virtual. The EP of six song selections will be available digitally everywhere music is sold on Friday, June 26, 2020.
The full EP star-studded cast includes Laura Benanti (Gypsy, My Fair Lady, Meteor Shower, TV’s “Supergirl,” “Younger,” “Nashville”), Nikki Renee Daniels (Company, Book of Mormon, Porgy and Bess), Joshua Turchin (“The Early Night Show with Joshua Turchin,” Trevor the Musical, Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol/The Actor’s Fund, “The Little Mermaid” Live-To-Film/The Hollywood Bowl, A Christmas Story Broadway National Tour, The Pill, School of Rock Promo Tour), Carly Gendell (School of Rock), Grace DeAmicis (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Ellie Kim (School of Rock, Trevor the Musical), Swayam Bhatia (Disney+’s “The Mighty Ducks,” “Really Rosie”), Lily Brooks O’Briant (Matilda, Netflix’s “The Big Show Show”), Luke Islam (Disney+’s “The Mighty Ducks,” “America’s Got Talent” Golden Buzzer Winner), Audrey Bennett (Frozen, Amelie, Amazon’s “Hunters”), and Fabi Aguirre (On Your Feet, Les Miserables).
The Perfect Fit Remote EP features music supervision, arrangements & orchestrations, mixing & mastering by Dan Garmon and vocal direction by Joshua Turchin. The musicians include Dan Garmon – Keys 1/Drums (Cruel Intentions, Charlie Brown Xmas – Live On Stage), Joshua Turchin – Keys 2, Tomoko Akaboshi – Violins, Viola (Sweeney Todd, Matilda), Ansel Cohen – Cello (Sofia Carson, Sky Ferreira), David Kawamura – Guitars (Cruel Intentions, producer: Justine Skye), and Julia Adamy – Upright/Electric Bass (Hamilton, The Cher Show, Ben Platt). Partial casting is by Mungioli Theatricals, LLC.
Concord Theatricals, on behalf of The Irving Berlin Music Company and in coordination with BroadwayHD, Roundabout Theatre Company and Playbill, is proud to announce a live viewing party of Roundabout Theatre Company’s Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical on Saturday, May 30 at 8PM ET. Produced in association with Universal Stage Productions, the 2016 musical stars Tony Award nominee Bryce Pinkham, Lora Lee Gayer, Tony Award nominee Megan Lawrence, Danny Rutigliano, Megan Sikora, and Corbin Bleu. BroawdwayHD produced the film capture of this iconic production.
Captured live on 14 high-definition cameras at Roundabout’s Studio 54, Holiday Inn will be available for free worldwide on BroadwayHD.com in celebration of Irving Berlin’s birthday by visiting THIS LINK. Holiday Inn will be available to stream for free for 48 hours following the live viewing party. While the film is free for everyone to enjoy, those participating in the live viewing party are encouraged to support industry professionals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by making a tax-deductible donation to The Actors Fund, by visiting THIS LINK.
Be sure to follow along with the Irving Berlin Twitter and Instagram, and Playbill Twitter and Instagram, for trivia, fun facts, and giveaways throughout the event. Gather the whole family and use #HolidayInnMusical on social media to be a part of the fun!
Prior to the live viewing party, viewers are encouraged to get into the holiday spirit by watching clips from the Roundabout Theatre Company production and listening to the original Broadway cast recording of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn on Spotify. Click HERE to download photos & tune-in graphic (photo credit: Joan Marcus).
Stock and amateur rights for Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn are represented by Concord Theatricals. Theaters interested in licensing the show for future performances should visit Concord Theatricals HERE.
Golden Globe-winning and Oscar®-nominated actress Angela Bassett joins the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Storyline Online®cast of readers this month, bringing to life the true story of Grammy®-nominated New Orleans musician Troy Andrews in Trombone Shorty, a new read-aloud for the Emmy-nominated children’s literacy program.
Written by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, illustrated by Corretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Bryan Collier, this vibrant 2016 Caldecott Honor book, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, invigorates the Storyline Online bookverse with a tale of music, cuisine, culture and family. Featuring original music compositions written and performed by Andrews and used courtesy of The Universal Music Group and Round Hill Music.
Bassett chose the book because it shows how the talent and perseverance of even one person can affect an entire community—and she hopes young readers will be inspired to visit New Orleans one day, if they haven’t already.
Bassett joins the Storyline Online® cast of readers including Oprah Winfrey, Rami Malek, Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Chris Pine, Kristen Bell, Justin Theroux,Michelle Yeoh, Marc Maron and more who have volunteered their time and talent to promote literacy and inspire a love of reading in children.
To watch Trombone Shorty and all of the Storyline Online® videos, visit storylineonline.net.
The 2020 Tony Awards, originally set for June 7, have been replaced by Grease Live! Broadway.com will right that wrong by paying tribute to the annual TV event with a special event on the same night. Show of Shows: Broadway.com Salutes the Tonys, a benefit for both the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, will air on Sunday, June 7 at 7PM ET on Broadway.com and the Broadway.com YouTube channel.
2o days to go! Every year people panic to find the perfect gift. We at T2C have been collecting idea’s all year long to bring you the perfect gift guide at all price levels. When you’re at the end of your rope trying to find the perfect Christmas present this year, come to this guide for some great suggestions.
Chita & Patrick Pacheco at Drama Book Shop event May 15, 2023 Photo by Merle Frimark
There are a lot of books out there this year but we highly recommend Chita: A Memoir , the critically-acclaimed book is written by the legendary Broadway icon Chita Rivera with arts journalist Patrick Pacheco. Chita takes fans behind-the-scenes of all her shows and cabaret acts, she shares candid stories of her many colleagues, friends, and lovers. She speaks with empathy and hindsight of her deep associations with complicated geniuses like Fosse and Robbins, as well as with the mega-talent Liza Minnelli, with whom she co-starred in The Rink. She openly discusses her affair with Sammy Davis, Jr. as well as her marriage to Tony Mordente and her subsequent off-the-radar relationships. Chita revisits the terrible car accident that threatened to end her career as a dancer forever. Center stage to Chita’s story are John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songwriters and dear friends indelibly tied to her career through some of her most enduring work: Chicago, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Visit.
Chita’s love of performing began as a child in Washington, D.C., when her mother enrolled her in a local ballet school to channel her boundless energy. Still a teenager, she moved to New York to attend the School of American Ballet after an audition for George Balanchine himself and winning a scholarship. But Broadway beckoned, and by twenty she was appearing in the choruses of Golden Age shows like Guys and Dolls and Can-Can. In the latter, she received special encouragement from its star Gwen Verdon, forging a personal and professional friendship that would help shape her career. The groundbreaking West Side Story brought her into the orbit of Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Hal Prince, and Stephen Sondheim. After Bye Bye Birdie further burnished her rising star, she reunited with Verdon and her then-husband Bob Fosse to work on the film version of Sweet Charity and the celebrated original Broadway production of Chicago.
Chita: A Memoir was published in English and Spanish and the English audio version of the Memoir was recorded by Chita. A Spanish audio version is also available.
“Chita Rivera blazed a trail where none existed so the rest of us could see a path forward. She has been part of some of the greatest musicals in the history of the form, from Anita in the trailblazing West Side Story through Claire Zachanassian in the underrated masterpiece The Visit, over 60 years later. She is a Puerto Rican Broadway icon and the original ‘triple threat.’ We’re so lucky to be alive in the same timeline as Chita Rivera.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“A frank and fascinating memoir from one of the truly great artists of the American Theater. Lots of stories … Lots of insight … and quite a few caustic statements from Chita’s alter ego, Dolores. An illuminating history and a guaranteed pleasure!” — John Kander
Broadway legend and national treasure Chita Rivera, multi-Tony Award winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – has taken no prisoners on stage or screen for seven decades. From her trailblazing performance as the original Anita in West Side Story—for which she tapped her own Puerto Rican roots—to her haunting 2015 star turn in The Visit. Chita has proven to be much more than just a captivating dancer, singer, and actress beloved by audiences and casts alike. In her equally captivating and one-of-a-kind memoir, Written with Patrick Pacheco, the woman born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero shares an incomparable life, both on stage and behind the curtain.
By the way this Memoir has won a Gold Medal for “Best Autobiography – English” at the 2023 International Latino Book Awards. https://www.latinobookawards.org/
Click here to buy your copy.
Here is the amazing cast of Spamalot. Christopher Fitzgerald as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as The Lady of the Lake, Ethan Slater as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin, Nik Walker as Sir Galahad andTaran Killam as Lancelot.
I was so inspired I drew the whole cast.
To read T2C’s review click here.
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Young Girl in Green painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1927). Oil on plywood.